1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a disposable protective guard to prevent direct touch-contact between an individual's hand and a hand-contact surface. By way of a preferred embodiment, the protective guard, which is treated with a microbicide to discourage the growth and spread of potentially disease-causing bacteria, is removably attached to either a handle or a pushing surface of a door.
2. Background Art
It is known that germs, viruses and similar potentially health-threatening bacteria are found on a variety of hand-contact surfaces such as, for example, handles and pushing surfaces associated with a door. Many viral infections remain untreatable, and the availability of effective antiviral drugs and vaccines is somewhat limited. One manner to limit the transmission of viral infections and disease is for individuals to frequently wash their hands. However, hand washing facilities are not always readily available throughout an individual's day. Another means to reduce the spread of disease is to apply a cover to prevent one's hands from coming into direct contact with surfaces which are frequently touched by different individuals and on which surfaces such disease-causing micro-organisms typically lie. However, the conventional (i.e., handle) coverings themselves are not adapted to prevent the growth and spread of potentially disease-causing bacteria caused by frequent touching. Therefore, the coverings must be replaced and discarded following each use which increases both the cost and inconvenience. Otherwise, the coverings may be largely ineffective to safeguard subsequent users who touch the coverings throughout the day. The ability to prevent the spread of disease among different workers who touch a contact surface is particularly acute in hospitals and other healthcare facilities where patients' medical well-being is at stake.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a reliable disposable protective guard to be removably attached to a hand-contact surface, such as a door handle, a pushing surface of a door, and the like, to prevent direct contact between an individual's hands and the contact surface and to reduce the growth and spread of potentially disease-causing bacteria from one individual's hand to the next.